RPVCCA_CC_SR_2015_04_21_06_GIS_Support_ModelCITY OF
MEMORANDUM
RANCHO PALOS VERDES
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY CCIUNCIL MEMBERS
FROM: DAN LANDON, IT MANAGER
DATE: APRIL 21, 2015
SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) SUPPORT
MODEL WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OPTION
REVIEWED: DOUG WILLMORE, CITY MANAGER W10
CAROLYNN PETRU, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION
Direct Staff to create an in-house GIS Coordinator position with a mid-range salary not to
exceed $85,800 per year, funded instead of the currently allocated budget for a GIS
Services Provider.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
With the emerging innovative uses of geographic data, GIS technologies are fast becoming
one of the most important technologies in local governments. While some municipalities
lag behind in GIS system development, the City of Rancho Palos Verdes has used GIS for
decision making for many years and with the implementation of new GIS Centric Public
Works and Community Development systems, GIS is poised to take on an even greater
and more important role in public outreach, productivity, efficiency and information based
decision making for the City.
Some cities use GIS in only a secondary way, while others have robust, fully functioning
GIS that are integrated with other City systems. This distinction is very important as the
City determines the most appropriate GIS support model. Some municipalities use GIS as
a convenient data lookup or to copy and paste maps into reports, while other cities use GIS
as an enabler of innovation and productivity. This systems integrated approach, with all
City land based data residing in a single, authoritative database provides a wide variety of
benefits and efficiencies to the City, but also requires a higher level of technical support.
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At the City Council meeting on March 17, 2015, Staff presented three (3) typical models of
GIS support, but have returned by the request of the City Council with a fourth model, an
analysis of the possibility of retaining our current services provider. Costs for our current IT
Services provider are approximately $117,000 for FY14-15.
$117,000
More accountable
No staffing "bench"
Flexible position
No higher level expertise
Project management
Institutional knowledge
City goals and objectives
$100,464
Fiscally conservative
Less City dedication
Flexibility
Less knowledge retention
City goals and objectives
Estimated
Staffing "bench"
Lack of flexibility
$116,000
Higher level expertise
Less accountability
Project Management
Likely
Retention of Knowledge
Lack of flexibility
estimate
Familiarity
Less accountability
lower end
Easy transition to new
Project Management
or below
agreement
Less staffing "bench"
RFP cost.
Less high level expertise
As a note, the current overall cost of IT Support is $352,000 annually, changes to the
service provider as a result of the IT Services RFP and this Staff recommended GIS
Coordinator position will result in a total support cost of approximately $315,000, a $27,000
annual savings over the current support cost. Other options can have an even further hard
cost reduction. While the City will receive a substantial savings overall in any case, the
quality of support is an important factor in both the long term cost of the system and the
City's capability to provide services to the public.
BACKGROUND
At the April 7, 2015 City Council meeting, Staff presented information related to the
importance of GIS to City operations along with several possible support models and a
proposal to create an in-house GIS Coordinator position as the ongoing GIS support
model. Direction was given to Staff to return with more information regarding the various
GIS support models and to include an option for the current services provider, Palos
Verdes on the Net (PVNET), to continue with a sole source contractual agreement.
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INTRODUCTION
With the emerging innovative uses of geographic data, GIS technologies are fast becoming
one of the most important technologies in forward thinking local governments. While some
municipalities lag behind in GIS Centric data retention and geographic information based
decision making, the.City of Rancho Palos Verdes has used GIS for decision making for
many years.
With the implementation of the Public Works Computerized Maintenance Management
System (CMMS) for infrastructure asset and project management and the planned
Community Development Permitting, Planning and Land Management system, the City's
GIS system is taking the role of a critical data enabler. Information can now be shared
throughout the organization, and with the public for public outreach, transparency,
efficiency and information based decision making.
In addition to the efficiency and management decision benefits of GIS, GIS technologies
have numerous direct public benefits such as:
• Communication and Outreach — The capacity to display data in web pages that
citizens and contractors can interact with over the internet;
• Transparency — The capacity to display data in searchable formats that allow the
public to view activities throughout the organization;
• Public Safety — Many aspects of land based data are used in public safety activities
including law enforcement, building permits, and infrastructure planning;
• Recreational Activities — Online GIS maps help the City plan activities for
residents and give residents a map view of those calendared events and other
recreational resources such as park amenities and trail networks; and
• Cooperation — GIS data is shared with the Land Conservatory, the City's vendors
and contractors, and other local agencies to coordinate activities.
With the addition of the new business systems, Public Works and Community
Development activities can be linked to parcels or any other data in GIS such as street
segments, sewer lines or stop signs, allowing Staff across departments to communicate on
different business system platforms with GIS as the keystone linking these integrated
systems. GIS allows the various department business systems to use the same common
asset dataset, eliminating the inefficiencies, maintenance and inconsistency problems
caused when data is duplicated in multiple systems.
DISCUSSION
How GIS is used in practice throughout the organization is the most important factor in
determining the type of support required. A municipality that uses GIS for convenience, to
verify information or in copying and pasting maps into a report can operate with minimal
support, however using of GIS in that minimal way is very limiting and organizations do not
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realize the many benefits a robust GIS system can provide.
Advanced GIS systems that are integrated into business processes deliver centralized and
comprehensive historical and planning data directly to each desktop in the organization.
GIS becomes a critical link in the smooth functioning of business processes throughout the
organization. Robust GIS and GIS Centric systems require a higher level of upkeep, a
closer degree of oversight and a less risky approach than one used merely for
convenience. While the technical support required is more elaborate, the cost of IT
support is absorbed many times over by the benefits derived throughout the organization.
Support Models
During the March 17th City Council presentation, Staff proposed three standard support
models, and by request of Council has added a fourth model to consider, the possibility of
a sole source contract with our current services provider. The four (4) support models with
a short synopsis are listed here with a more comprehensive analysis to follow:
• Option 1: In -House Position — The creation of a GIS position is Staff'
recommended approach for a variety of reasons. Primarily because of
accountability and flexibility as well as the leadership a dedicated Staff resource
provides to the organization;
• Option 2: Hybrid Approach — Creation of a part time position or contracting with a
part time GIS expert for a 28 hour per week engagement supplemented by a
services provider for the additional 12 hours per week of support needed;
• Option 3: Services Provider— Conduct an RFP for a services provider to maintain
the system and the data contained within; and,
• Option 4: Sole Source with PVNET — Offer our current GIS services provider a
sole source contract with new agreement terms.
Staff recognizes the City Council's desire to maintain tight control over cost, and has
presented the estimated raw costs for consideration with each proposal. It is important to
note that as with all technology initiatives, the true cost—benefit analysis is only apparent
when looking at the bigger picture of organizational benefits and related risks.
Option 1: In -House Position
In this approach, the City would create a new position reporting to the City IT Manager and
hire a full-time employee to administer the City's GIS program. As explained during the
presentation on March 17, 2015, it is both our technical consultant, Nexlevel, and Staff's
position that an in-house position is the appropriate approach because of the critical and
strategic nature the GIS system now plays, and will expand in the future.
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Understanding that adding a position should be done with careful analysis, Staff believes
that the critical and strategic nature warrants an in-house position directly under City
control because an in-house position gives the City more direct control over both the GIS
system, the data contained within it, and Staff responsible for maintaining the system.
Furthermore, a dedicated staff person only has the City's goals and objectives in mind
when planning for upgrades or managing interns or City staff on projects, and the ability to
retain institutional knowledge is strengthened.
This approach also has limitations such as the lack of a staffing "bench", or personnel to fill
in for illness or vacations, as well as the lack of higher level knowledge within the
organization to call on for complex troubleshooting or issues.
As a consideration, the GIS industry has several position titles, including GIS Technicians,
GIS Specialists, and GIS Supervisors, but the more common titles used in municipal
government are from the lower technical capabilities to the higher, GIS Analyst, GIS
Coordinator and GIS Manager. The two (2) positions relevant to this discussion are
summarized below:
• GIS Coordinator — Fully loaded - $117,546/yr
o based on $85,800/year mid -point salary plus 37% benefits load
A senior level position, who directs the activities of gathering and data entry.
Coordinators support the GIS system and determine the most appropriate strategy
of the GIS data and system architecture.
• GIS Analyst — Fully loaded - $102,750/yr
o Based on $75,000/year mid —point salary plus 37% benefits load
A junior level position, usually charged with either gathering GIS data or configuring
gathered data for entry into the GIS database, querying data, creating maps, etc. A
GIS Analyst usually has some basic knowledge of GIS system maintenance as well.
Option 2: Hybrid Solution - $100,464/yr
• 28 hour per week contracted or part-time in house GIS Coordinator, supplemented
by a twelve (12) hour per week GIS service provider.
o Contracted GIS Coordinator @ 1,456 hours annually x $45/hr = $65,520
o Supplemental Services Provider @ 624 hours annually x $56/hr = $34,944
The hybrid solution includes contracting with or hiring a part time staff person rather than a
full time staff person, allowing the City to retain more control and flexibility than with a
service provider (option 3 and 4). However, since the position is part time, the City loses
some consistency and knowledge retention benefits form a full-time in-house position
(option 1).
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While Staff believes GIS management requirements fully support a full time position, this
option has the additional benefit of allowing the City to take a more conservative fiscal
approach to support. The City could potentially not use all of the service provider hours if
they are not needed, or utilize extra support hours during peak work times.
Option 3: GIS Services Provider - $116,480/yr
• Base contract cost ($56/hr x 2080 hours)
(based on an Orange County Sanitation District RFP results)
In this approach, support of the City's GIS Program is provided entirely by an outside GIS
service provider. This approach provides for a "bench" of additional staff resources with
either higher knowledge levels to troubleshoot or plan complex GIS functions or to fill in if
regular GIS staff is ill or on vacation.
While this approach provides quality support for the maintenance of the GIS software itself,
configurations related to interrelated systems and projects are typically additional services
costs. With a services provider, City management coordinates projects with Services
Provider management rather than directly with the GIS staff person working on the system,
without any direct control over which staff person works on a project or how they
accomplish the project. A services provider typically does not have staff dedicated to the
organization and is a very common and cost effective approach for an organization that is
without fully integrated GIS systems.
Option 4: Sole Source Contractwith the Current Services Provider— Likely lower end
or below RFP Services Provider cost
In the late 1990's, PVNET Director Ted Vegvari implemented an innovative new system
capable of geo-locating data on a map. At the time, use of GIS was common only in large
cities. Years later, GIS is now a mature technology and it is because of the forward looking
efforts of PVNET that the City has the benefits of a robust GIS system today.
PVNET also conducts non-profit technical training and internships out of their PVNET
"Annex" facility that trains area youth and seniors in technologies from basic computer
operation to advanced 3D graphics and printing and robotics to name a few. PVNET
Director Vegvari and staff should be commended for their dedication, hard work and efforts
in fulfilling their dream of providing service to the community and for their dedication and
efforts over the last 18 years of service to the City.
The ESRI ArcGIS system supported by PVNET in its current configuration functions well,
and is a model for other smaller cities in the area. The GIS system is maintained by
PVNET's GIS Manager who is a knowledgeable and capable GIS professional, who has
serviced the City's GIS system for the last 6 years.
Al
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The current contract includes a low base cost, but also a low threshold for additional
services. Given this structure, in any given year there is a high likelihood that needed
projects will lead to additional services costs. The base annual contract is $72,000, but
any work that exceeds 4 hours requires additional service fees which have so far this year
are expected to total in excess of $45,000, bringing the total cost for FY2014-15 to
$117,000. In addition, the current contracted position works out of the PVNET Annex.
With the new systems being implemented, the City would require more hands on support in
City Hall, and the current contract would lead to even further additional services costs.
With the many changes in the contract, the new cost cannot be determined without
negotiation.
There are both benefits and limitations of a sole source contract with PVNET as detailed
below:
Benefits:
Institutional Knowledge — PVNET has the institutional knowledge that the City
needs because of their long term relationship with the City; and
Simplicity - Simple to implement agreement without a loss of institutional
knowledge.
Even with the beneficial relationship PVNET and the City have had over the last 18 years,
there are some of the same limitations any services provider would have, as well as
several unique limitations of note.
Limitations:
Staffing Resources — The primary advantage of using a services provider is the
"bench" of additional high level resources that the services provider can access to
solve complex problems and to provide additional staff to cover services while the
primary staff assigned to the City might be ill or on vacation. PVNET does not have
the customer base to support a large staff, eliminating the primary reason that
makes a services provider model attractive in the first place.
Dedicated Staff — While the City recognizes that PVNET has always kept the goals
and objectives of the City in mind, PVNET staff are not a dedicated resource to the
City so there is a loss of direct accountability and flexibility in their assignments,
vendor negotiations and project management capacities.
Stability —When a typical professional services RFP is issued, the responding
proposer's financial strength and the size of the customer base have considerable
importance because of the likelihood of a smaller organization going out of business
or discontinuing the service if it was not profitable or if they lost critical staffing. That
same concern is also prevalent in a Sole Source arrangement.
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During the March 17, 2015 City Council meeting, questions were also raised about the
PVNET provided systems such as the Los Angeles Regional Imagery Acquisition
Consortium (LARIAC) fly over terrain imagery and ESRI GIS system software that were
previously included in the base cost of the PVNET agreement with the City, and why the
City would not continue that model with PVNET.
It is important to note that as a non-profit/educational organization, PVNET qualifies to
obtain either substantially reduced or free pricing for licensing of some software, but those
licenses come with considerable restrictions including that they are not transferable to
another organization. Municipalities do not qualify for that reduced pricing. After Staff
analysis, including conversations with those system representatives, it was determined that
the City did not have proper licensing rights to use those systems as provided by PVNET.
During the process of decoupling services from PVNET prior to the issuance of the IT
Services RFP, the City requested and City Council approved an authorization to directly
license the LARIAC and ESRI ArcGIS software, which insures future compliance with
licensing requirements. Whether the City continues contracting for GIS services with
PVNET or not, the City would need to pay for licensing of those systems.
CONCLUSION
Support of the GIS system is a professional service requiring a high degree of technical
knowledge and training. As with most professional services, cost is a factor but the support
model and the technical capabilities are a more important factor to consider because of
unforeseen costs and the risks involved. A poorly performing services provider can cause
numerous problems including extensive damage to the GIS system, data inconsistencies,
improper data acquisition methodologies, and because of the integration with other
business systems, potential failure of the Infrastructure and Asset Management system
and planned Land Management and Permitting Systems which could potentially disrupt
significant City operations.
All support model options have both benefits and limitations, and it is Staff's belief that any
of the options have the capability to support the GIS system. Hard support costs are
relatively similar between the various options. The Service Provider options all include the
risk of additional fees for any GIS projects, and the creation of a GIS Coordinator position
has long term benefits and PERS calculations that were estimated in the calculations.
Given the option between the four (4) support models, it is Staff's recommendation that the
City hire a full-time GIS Coordinator for the following reasons:
• Greater control over possible additional services costs,
• Authority and accountability in managing projects;
• Greater chance of retaining institutional knowledge;
• Clear direction and focus on the City's needs; and
• Flexibility in assigning tasks.
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FISCAL IMPACT
Based on Staff recommendation Option 1, create a GIS Coordinator position, $117,546
would be transferred from the "IT Professional and Technical Service — Data" line item to
the "IT Payroll" line item in FY15-16, resulting in no significant change in the overall budget.
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